Pyrophoric lighter



Patented May 26, 1942 UNITI-:o HSTATES 'r PATENT orifice A to La Nationale S. A., Geneva, Switzerland, a corporatie f Switzerland, and one-haii' 'to Application April 1, 194

o, serial No.y 327,265 l, L

3 laims.

Automatic pyrophoric lighters having a cover which opens automatically, are always provided with a retaining member ior the cover, said member acting in the manner of a pawl and being actuated from the outside either by a simple knob or by a more complicated device for vthe purpose of rendering accidental lighting of the lighter-in a pocket less probable. Besides this danger of accidental lighting, these lighters also have the disadvantage that when they misiire it is necessary for the smoker to close the lighter before making a second attempt to light the same. For eliminating these twov disadvantages some automatic lighters with' a springactuated cover have been constructed wherein,

f The subject of the present invention is a senilautomatic lighter with a spring-actuated cover, and provided with a rotary friction wheel adapted to be actuated by hand, this lighter being characterised in that the rotary movement lm parted to the friction wheel, which is in contact over the hook `9 so 4as to come into engagement with a pyrophoric nint, for the purpose of effecting lighting, is used during the iirst portion of its movement for releasing the cover from its retaining member.

One form of construction of the subject of the invention is shown by way oi' example in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are views from opposite sides oi the lighter, some of the parts being in section.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section to a largeri scale on the line III-III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view in section on the line.

IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Fis., 5 is a detail view in section on the line V-V of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view, with parts in section, of Figs. 1 and 2, the cover being removed.

In the drawing I indicates the body or casing of the lighter to which is hinged a cover actuated by a spring. not shown, which always tends .to hold the cover in the open position. 3 isfthe wick tube on which is placed a Wick cap d which is located in the support t screwed to the cover. The pivoted cover 2, wick cap ll and its support constitute in eiect a snuier device.

On the-body vof the lighter I is mounted a rotary wheel S adapted to .be actuated by hand and which is secured to a friction wheel i against which there bears resilientl'y the .pyrophoric iiint 2I\(Fig. 6).

The wheel 6 is provided on one face with dog teeth 8 adapted to engage with a pawl 9.

The pawl 9 is hinged at I0 to an arm II mounted in such a manner as to be capable of oscillating on the support 5. l

The support 5, which serves as a guide for the wick cap A, is provided in the upper portion thereof with a transverse bore in which is mounted a tube I2 secured to the arm II.

Throughthis tube passes a screw I5 to the end of which there is shown secured a latch I3 terminating in a hook It. A device is provided for ensuring the entrainment of the lever I3 bythe lever I I, Whilstenabling the former to move without entraining the latter. This is necessary so as to enable the end I4 of the latch I3 to pass therewith without the pawl 9 being-displaced rearwardly from its normal engaging position with one of the teeth 8 which would be liable, by reason of the friction of the flint 2| on the friction wheel l, to prevent the hook, It from coming into engagement with the hook I9. For this purpose the tube I2 is provided at its end, opposite the latch I3, with a cut-away portion 22 which extends parallel to its axis so that the tube only extends over an are of at least The latch I3 has a cylindrical portion 23 corresponding with vthe cut-away portion 22 of. the` tube, but of a smaller angle than Athe latter, so that the lever can turn with the screw or shaft I5 in the tube I2 through an angle' a, corresponding with the angular clearance provided between the parts 22 and 23. This clearance is suillcient, when closing the cover, to enable the hook I4 'of the latch I3 to pass over the hook I9 so as' to assume the position shown in Fig. 2, without producing a movement of the pawlover the teeth 8.

Below the bore, containing the tube I2, the support 5 is provided with Ia recess IS through which passes a vertical spindle Il on which there is mounted a small coiled tension spring IS of which one end rests against the latch I3, whilst the otherend thereof is located-in an opening inthe pawl 9. In order to enable the latter to move relatively to the arm II under the action of the spring I8, this arm is provided opposite the end of the spring with a shallow recess.

a fixed hook I9 adapted to engage with theend I4 of the latch I3.

The operation of this device is as follows.

The cover 2, being closedas shown in full lines of the arrow 20, the first portion of its movement' entrains the pawl 9 and therewith the arm II on which it is mounted, against the action of the spring I8. As during this movement the arm IIv entrains the lever I3 through the medium of the tube I2. the hook I4 is disengaged from the iixed hook I9. Y

At this moment the cover 2 is released and is Aopened under the action of its spring.

It entrains therewith the support 5 carrying the members II and I3 with the pawl 9, as also the wick cap 4 which latter exposes the wick.

As the movement of the wheel 3 produces the movement of the friction wheel 1, bearing against the pyrophoric flint, ignition takes place when the cover is operi (Fig. 6), the friction wheel then turning freely on its shaft without any resistance other than friction on the pyrophoric flint.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that when, during the closing of the cover, the pawl 9 is at the apex of one of the teeth 8, it can oscillate on the arm II without preventing the hook I4 of the latch I3 cominginto en'- gagement with the xed hook I9.

By reason of the fact that all the movable members of the device are attached to the cover 2. which moves away from the wick at the moment when a spark is projected towards the latter, dust from the pyrophoric flint will not interf ere with the movement of .these members in the course of time. The mounting of these memcasing from which said bers-is further facilitated. by the fact that the movable members are mounted on the support 5 which itself is mounted on the cover 2.

As will be seen this device which only necessitates a single and the same rotary movement for producing both the opening and ignition of the lighter, also has the advantage of preventing in a practical and satisfactory manner, the accidental opening of the cover, as in order to effect this opening it is not only necessary to rotate the wheel, a movement which it is dimcult to effect accidentally, but it is also necessary to overcome the resistance which the pyrophoric flint, which is pressed by a spring against the' friction wheel, naturally opposes to this rotation. 1

The movable parts of the device,

being mounted on the cover, as shown in the example of construction described', may obviously instead of a wick on said wall, a snuffer deviceifor covering and uncovering the exposed end of said wick A pivoted to the casing and spring biased to uncovering position, a dint, a friction wheel for the flint and mounted to rotate on a fixedaxis disposed vertically to said wall, said wheel having a peripheral portion exposed at the face of the wall extends inwardly, a hook fixed on the casing and having a keeper portion parallel to said wall, an annular ratchet on the side of the friction wheel opposite said wall, a latch pivotally carried by the snuiler device on an axis disposed at'right angles to the axis of the wheel and ratchet and having its lower end adapted to engage and disengage said hook, an arm arranged parallel to the latch and having a right angular tubular portion coaxial with and surrounding the pivot axis of the latch,

cooperating parts on the latch and tubular portion to provide relative idle movement therebetween, a pawl pivoted to the lower end of the arm for engaging the ratchet. said pawl when positively moved by the ratchet rst causing the takeup .of idle movement between the arm and the latch, and then causing the release of the latch from the hook, and spring means for normally urging'the pawlv toward the ratchet and also urging the latch toward the hook, said spring means also permitting relative idle movement of the pawl relative to the latch to prevent disengagement of the latter from the keeper hook as the pawl seats .on the ratchet when `the snufier device' is moved to vwick covering position.

2. A mechanism for controlling the automatic opening of a spring-actuated cover pivotally .mounted on the fuel containenof a lighter, comengage-said hook, said tube being cut away at its end adjacent saidlatch through an arc of at least an arcuate extension on said latch of less than 180 and engaging within the cutaway portion of said tube to permit of relative idle movement between said latch and said tube.' a pawl pivotally mounted on said arm and engaging said ratchet whereby movement of the ratchet will roel:Y the vpawl and move the arm and its tube to rock the latch out of engagement with mounted in said support subthe hook,'a spindle stantially parallel to arm, and a spring coiled around having one end engaging said pawl to and between said latch and said spindle and urge it toward the ratchet and having the other end enalso be mounted on the body of the lighter, in

which case the cover is provided with a ilxed hook or any other projection adapted to come into engagement with a movable retaining member.

The teeth adapted to come into engagement with the pawl may be formed in the friction wheel or in a member secured thereto.' There may also be used directly for this purpose the teeth of the friction wheel, which teeth engage with the pyrophoric flint. Y

1. In a pyrophoric lighter, the combination,4

comprising, a casing having a. wall extending inwardly at, right angles to an outer face thereof,

gaging said latch to urge it toward the hook, and whereby when the cover is closed the pawl will be free to move from the apex of a tooth of the ratchet into the valley thereof without causing disengagement of the latch from the hook.

3. A mechanism for controlling the automatic opening of a spring actuated cover pivotally mounted on the fuel container of a lighter. comprising, in combination, a -friction wheel including a peripherally exposed" portion rotatably u mounted on said containenan annular ratchet on the side of said wheel, a keeper hook secured .L

to the container, cover controlling 4means carried at the inner side of the coverand cooperating with the said wheel, ratchet,I and hook. said means including a latch' for engaging the hook and a ssspoe y Y 3 ratchet when the cover is closed; salti wheel when manually moved causing the ratchet to entrain the pmvlY and latch and thereby disengage the same from the keeper hook to permitvthe cover 5 to open. 

